2013 Bimota DB10 B.Motard Review

If pure fun in an exotic package is what you’re after, the B.motard doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it’s hard to envision a motorcycle more fun and exotic than this one. Motards are built for the purpose of attempting acts of craziness you can only dream about on a sportbike, and the Bimota DB10 delivers this temptation in style.

The DB10 B.Motard is basically a street-legal, race-tuned Hypermotard SP powered by an air-cooled Ducati Twin. I say race-tuned because as with every Bimota the DB10 features a handmade frame of machined billet aluminum and steel trellis.

I found some pretty Italian countryside not far from the Bimota factory in Rimini, Italy, and it didn’t take long before the riding impressions began streaming in. From the word go on cold tires I could feel the responsiveness of the chassis and the interaction between fuelling and engine. While most new bikes come with Ride-by-Wire throttle, it’s a delight to modulate the power of the DB10 with cable actuation. Every inch of throttle given or surrendered results in instant obedience from the big Twin and it made me dubious of some of our technical progressions.

The DB10 is the sort of motorcycle that can and will ride rings around most anything. When accelerating the DB10 sits down on its rear shock and lofts the front wheel in a very predictable way. With the front wheel on the ground and a handful of front brakes you can stop on the white line in front of the traffic light and drop the rear tire until the light turns green and the process begins again.

The Bimota DB10 is without a doubt the most attractive hooligan motorcycle I have ever ridden. The dual, radial-mount front Brembos grip wavy 320mm discs while a Marzocchi fork with 50mm diameter tubes absorb the resultant wheelies, stoppies and road imperfections. Tires are Continentals: 120/70-17 front and 180/55-17 rear.

In tight corners the DB10 is in its element. Seating position is tall and it’s very easy to move body weight forward or backward depending on where in the corner you are as the seat stretches far up onto the 3.6-gallon fuel tank. The wide handlebar gives superb control and it’s effortless to hang on through some inevitable shaking when hard on the throttle. The chassis is so lightweight that any rider input is instantly obeyed. The most difficult thing about the DB10 is coping with the pain of a smile that won’t go away.

The 1078cc, air-cooled, 2-valve, Desmo L-Twin borrowed from the Monster 1100 Evo has received the Bimota treatment with new fuel injection and an Arrow exhaust that boosts the old Ducati’s power in all the right places. We’re talking a perfectly tuned 98 horsepower at 7750 rpm and 76 ft-lb of torque at 5750 rpm. You’re going to have to spend many hours and even more dollars making your Hypermotard feel as good as this.

The midrange, which I’m tempted to say starts from idle (of course it doesn’t really), is rich and drives everything forward in a highly satisfying way. If you’re rowing the gears in quick succession the DB10 lifts its front wheel in each of the first three.

Every painted surface apart from the plastic fuel tank is made of carbon fiber, and even on something as spartan as the DB10 you’ll find the odd carbon fiber detail in places that nobody can see. It’s pure Italian perfection and for this you’ll have to fork out around $27,500. The Bimota DB10 B.Motard isn’t for the price conscious, it’s for the motorcycle connoisseur with copious provisions.

Although it’s highly impractical, the Bimota DB10 is one of the most fun and precise motorcycles I have ever tested. You can’t do many miles in one go but you can reach a state of motorcycle nirvana while aboard the DB10. If you value every mile you ride then the DB10 repays your investment in a high entertainment-per-mile value. Yes, I would probably sell one of my sisters for one.

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